New Zealand is full of beautiful landscapes & adrenals-filled activities. What if we told you that we found a balance between both. An activity that is full of fun & can be done by everyone! We found Zorbing in Rotorua.
Interestingly, ZORB Rotorua was the first commercial site for zorbing in the world. Let me tell you all about this wonderful activity.
The Free Transfer
From Rotorua i-Site, ZORB Rotorua is just 5 km away. It is possible to take a bus or a rental car on their premises. We got a free transfer in their stylish car from our accommodation in Rotorua. In about 10 mins, we were at ZORB Rotorua all excited to go downhill.
ZORB Rotorua
I was not expecting the premise of ZORB Rotorua to be big but it was HUGE! The reception area was quite huge. We arrived, registered ourselves for the activity & Anna, Sales & Marketing Manager of ZORB Rotorua showed us all the facilities.
Facilities at ZORB Rotorua
The Reception Area
Their reception area takes care of registrations & instructions. This is where we got to know all about the activity that we were going to undertake. There are ZORB Rotorua merchandise for sale here which are of very good quality. If you get hungry or thirsty, there are snacks, beverages & ice creams for sale here.
Changing Facility
ZORB Rotorua is best enjoyed when the ball is filled with warm water. It also means that you’re going to get wet, so it is advisable to change into swimwear for the duration of this activity.
At ZORB Rotorua, they have a changing facility which we used. It is very thoughtfully planned because it is very near to the reception & the van arrival area. Inside the changing room, there was a personal heater which was quite useful in the cold weather.
Jacuzzi
This is definitely one of the nicest things at ZORB Rotorua. Once the activity is done & you get out of the ball, you can straightaway jump into the hot water Jacuzzi. This helped us a lot in coping with the cool weather.
There are Jacuzzi located at the top as well. So once the van transports you the top point, you can wait luxuriously in the hot water Jacuzzi. Once you are called, you can straightaway go inside the zorb & start the activity. The Jacuzzi on top & bottom really cut down the ‘cold’ time.
Van
The tracks are anywhere between 250 to 350m long. This doesn’t mean that you need to trek your way to the top. There are dedicated vans that take you to the top on frequent intervals. The van we sat in was huge (easily 10 people can fit). It can transport many people at once so you can be sure that your turn will come sooner. Meanwhile, enjoy the jacuzzi.
Pictures
You can use the pictures & videos package at ZORB Rotorua. They give you a GoPro which you can take in during your activity. Film yourself inside the zorb, there will be pictures of you while doing the activity by the dedicated photographer. Once you are at the bottom, there will be pictures of you inside & outside the zorb. This package is very affordable & great for memories.
The Real Action At ZORB Rotorua
There are 4 tracks at ZORB Rotorua. It is possible to do either just 1 or 2 or 3 or all 4. There are packages for all the possible combinations & they are well-priced. On the first 3 tracks listed below, maximum 3 people can together go in the zorb. For the MEGA track, only 2 people can go together.
Straight Track
The straight track is the most basic track. It is used to give a bit of orientation about the activity. This was the first track we also went for. The straight track is 250m long. Once we went inside the zorb, it was warm. We were asked to push the ball forward & once we tilted, the activity began!
This was a pure thrilling experience. There was not even a bit of fear in us (like Bungy Jumping or Skydiving) but it was as exciting as those activities! We came down rolling in about 60 seconds. That 1 minute was a fun trance. This experience prepared us for the more advanced tracks.
Sidewinder Track
We were all geared up for our 2nd track. This one was known as Sidewinder. It was 350m long & it had around 6 corners where the zorb turned (unexpectedly). We again took the van to the top & got inside the zorb for the next adventure.
These balls are translucent from inside. So you can still things from the inside but it isn’t very clear. That was the fun part on the Sidewinder track. We couldn’t see where the ball was going & where it was going to turn. It was a blinder but it was amazing fun. A lot more exciting than the Straight track for sure. Because of its crazy turns, we took 90 seconds to come down.
Big Air Track
After the exhilarating Sidewinder, we were going for the 3rd track called Big Air. As the name suggests, big air was a more complex track. The track was 300m long, it had twists & turns like Sidewinder and also had 3 points where the ball would be in air & then drop.
The description of Big Air was exciting enough for us to try. We took around 70 seconds to come down & the drops that we felt during this ride can’t be described in words. It’s like for a moment, you feel like you are in a 0 gravity zone & then drop! Big Air became our favorite out of all the 3 tracks because of its unexpectedness.
MEGA Track
The final one was the MEGA track. According to Anna, this was the fastest & the steepest zorbing track in the world! This was 300m long straight track. The rest of the 3 tracks (Straight, Sidewinder & Big Air) start from the same platform. For the MEGA track, we went a few meters higher, so imagine the steepness!
We crossed 300m in literally 45 seconds! It was too fast to even think about anything. If you like speed, the MEGA track is something that you should definitely try out at ZORB Rotorua.
After doing all the 4 tracks, we changed back to our original, warm clothes. At the reception, we got to see our pictures & videos which they shared by email later on. ZORB Rotorua is truly an amazing activity to do when you are in Rotorua. Unlike other adventure sports, there is no fear in this one & it can be done by all the age groups.
Book your visit to ZORB Rotorua directly from their official website.
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